Bradford, Vt.
The second-seeded Oxbow High girls soccer team certainly gave every ounce of energy and passion on Wednesday afternoon. The Olympians played their hearts out and came up just short of moving forward to the VPA Division III final, losing to No. 6 Vergennes, 2-1, in double overtime.
“I’m extremely proud of them. They played very well,” Oxbow coach Charlie Barton said. “I think, as a team, we just maxed out.”
Maria Malaney was the Commodores’ hero, scoring the game winner on a cold Wednesday afternoon.
Oxbow (14-2-0) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead four minutes into the game off the foot of Avery Barton. Melanie Neil got the ball through the defense to Barton, who drove it in just inside the post.
“We have scored quick a lot this season, and we wanted to do it again today,” Charlie Barton said.
After the goal, momentum drastically changed. The ball continuously was in the Olympians’ half of the field, but the Commodores (9-5-2) couldn’t get through a stout Oxbow defense for a clean shot on net. Oxbow midfielder Schyler Hanzas and defender Emma Parkin were constantly booting the ball out of harm’s way for the majority of the opening half.
The first 30 minutes of the second half brought more of the same.
Oxbow had its chances when captain Zoe Barton had the ball.
She continuously beat defenders and created opportunities, but to no avail.
Vergennes didn’t find the net until 11 minutes left in regulation, when it was awarded a corner kick. Ciara McClay took the corner, which curved into the back of the net to tie the game.
The score remained knotted until the second overtime, when both sides were noticeably running on fumes.
“We played well; I think we were just the first team to run out of gas,” Charlie Barton said.
In the second OT, the Olympians fought off a barrage of attacks but couldn’t move the ball forward. Finally, after the ball bounced around in the Oxbow penalty area, the Commodores’ Malaney got a good foot on the ball and finally got a clean shot past O’s goalkeeper Mason Tomlinson.
“They can hold their heads high,” coach Barton said. “They played hard and played strong.”
Oxbow graduates seniors Tomlinson, Hanzas, Lillian Bartlett, Rilee Wadsworth, Zoe Barton and Madison Fornwalt.